Friday, May 16

GBBD May 2014: Latest. Spring. Ever. Or is it?

It's been chilly and rainy for the past few days, and it really feels like the few nice spring days we've had were a total tease. Because of that, I originally titled this post "Latest. Spring. Ever."

And then I went back through May Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts of old... and discovered that the outside plants are actually NOT really that far behind. The purple allium that I posted last year are just starting to open, but everything else is pretty much on schedule.

Even the lipstick plant - whose flowers are resting amongst baby jades in the pot below it - is blooming right on cue:

Elsewhere in the house, the Meyer (Improved) Lemon keeps putting out fragrant blooms. And the crazy phaleanopsis orchid shows no sign of slowing, either. Check out all these buds:

Of course, the blooms are beautiful too. Especially backlit in the morning sun:

Back outside, the little species tulips are just a memory. But the fancy tulips - like "Hero" and "Queen of Night" - and all of the lamiums are starting their show:

I haven't seen blooms on my peach tree just yet, but both cherries have bloomed. (I only hope that this cold spell isn't bad enough to spoil my chances for fruit!) The red currant that I cut back in the fall is sulking, but the other current is more than making up for its partner's funk:

It may be hard to see the "flowers" in this picture... but I always take a close look when they're in bloom. I find these little clusters oddly charming:

And that pretty much covers everything that's going on here for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. (Except the 2 trays of annuals that I had to move into the house... but I'll save that depressing sight for another post!) For more of what's in bloom around the world, check out Carol's May GBBD roundup over at May Dreams Gardens.

I love those dark tulips! I can see how the prolonged winter experienced in your part of the country might contribute to a perception that spring blooms are late - the anticipation of spring must to heightened when you experience one snowstorm after another. On the flip side, I initially felt that spring had arrived especially early here in Southern California but, with a few exceptions, I found the majority of plants stayed pretty much on schedule despite our unseasonably warm weather.

Kris, I can see why the flip side would be true, too - with an unseasonably warm spring, I would have felt that things were early, too! Funny how the plants seem to stay on schedule either way, isn't it?!

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